


The Lion of Orynth

by Wxlves



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: American Sign Language, Fix-It, Gavriel ain't dead, Gen, Sign Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24704965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wxlves/pseuds/Wxlves
Summary: Gavriel’s body was covered by a sheet from the neck down, his exposed face above it nearly as pale as the cotton. His eyes were shut, lashes casting a faint shadow over his cheekbones. The steady rise and fall of his chest was barely visible, his heartbeat so faint only the strongest Fae ears could hear it.The Lion had been asleep, healing, for days, Aedion by his side for every single one of them.-[This is a fix-it-fic I wrote where Gavriel didn't die. I wrote this right after reading KOA then forgot to post it, I just found it in my google drive]
Relationships: Aedion Ashryver & Gavriel, Aedion Ashryver/Lysandra
Comments: 4
Kudos: 43





	The Lion of Orynth

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware sign language doesn't interpret very literally into written/spoken english, but for the sake of good writing, all the sign language is written the way someone would actually speak.

Gavriel’s body was covered by a sheet from the neck down, his exposed face above it nearly as pale as the cotton. His eyes were shut, lashes casting a faint shadow over his cheekbones. The steady rise and fall of his chest was barely visible, his heartbeat so faint only the strongest Fae ears could hear it. 

The Lion had been asleep, healing, for days, Aedion by his side for every single one of them. The healers had ordered him out several times throughout the first day but when he’d thrice refused they had relented. They did, however, order him away from the bedside so he wouldn’t impede on their work, which he happily complied to. 

Lysandra, Aelin, and each of the Cadre had come in at various points, whether to check on Aedion or Gavriel or both. Lysandra had brought him food, plopped herself down into the chair next to Aedion’s, and stared him down with a steely gaze until he’d eaten it. Once satisfied he wasn’t going to starve, she gestured for him to stand and wrapped her arms around his torso in a hug which Aedion gratefully returned. The top of the shifter’s head only reached Aedion’s chin but somehow, despite her smaller stature, she practically enveloped Aedion into her arms. 

Tears slide down Aedion’s face and Lysandra, likely feeling the way his chest shook slightly, pulled back. She brushed a thumb over the male’s cheekbone, wiping away his tears. “He’s going to be okay, Aedion. The healers know for sure he’ll survive.” 

Aedion’s chin dipped, massive shoulders drooping. “I just keep thinking about what I almost lost. I couldn’t forgive myself if he had died thinking I don’t accept that he’s my father. I’m honored beyond measure to have someone as loyal and strong as him.” 

“It’s my honor, Aedion,” a voice rasped. Both heads whipped around towards the bed, where Gavriel now lay awake. He had sat up slightly, the sheet slipping enough to reveal his tanned throat; the golden complexion and dark tattoos slashed through by thick white lines. Even with the healing of a full-blooded Fae, those scars would remain as a bitter reminder of what had almost been lost, for however many centuries more the Lion survived. 

Aedion rushed to his father’s bedside and dropped to his knees, Lysandra standing close behind. “How do you feel?” Aedion cursed himself immediately after, what an utterly stupid question. Despite that, Gavriel gave a strained smile. 

He opened his mouth to respond but it took a moment for the words to work their way from his damaged throat, and when they did it was in a horrible rasp. “I have been better. But also worse.” 

A healer, having just rushed into the room, interrupted. “You’ll certainly be worse if you keep trying to talk, lord.” 

Gavriel shook his head with a slight frown, Aedion answered in words for him. “He’s no lord, just a warrior of the Queen’s.” The healer glanced up from her tonics and supplies with a slightly arched brow. 

“This is a Fae male, five centuries old and more powerful than most, who almost lost his life for our queen. I feel he’s owed some measure of a respectful title.” 

“Uncle Kitty Cat isn’t respect enough?” Lysandra cut in. Aedion laughed, the small smile returning to Gavriel’s face. 

“Now that he has woken, I’m going to call in some other healers, it will be busy and this time I’m going to insist that you leave.”

Aedion’s expression sharpened at the words but Lysandra laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Let them do their job, Aedion, Gavriel will be fine.” With a confirming nod from Gavriel Aedion stood, preparing to leave. 

Once in the doorway he paused and turned back towards the bed. “Thank you…”

At his hesitation the healer glanced up once again. “Reyna.”

“Reyna,” Aedion finished. “I owe you a life debt on behalf of my father.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Life debts hardly count when one’s a healer. It’s my  _ job  _ to save people.” 

The general just shook his head. “That doesn’t matter to me.” With that, and one last glance at Gavriel, he departed. 

-

Gavriel’s reading was interrupted by a loud thump accompanied by a massive cloud of dust. The ancient, leather-bound books that had been dropped in front of him were lettered in gold on the covers, surprisingly enough in the common tongue. 

His tawny eyes drifted upwards along the towering figure that had so rudely disrupted him, finally settling on his son’s face. 

Aedion dove right in with no further ado. “I’ve been searching the library for a few days to find something helpful. I know your speech is mostly gone and it’s very painful when you do talk, but I’ve found some books detailing signing; the alphabet, certain words, and even whole phrases.”

Gavriel put his book facedown, motioning for Aedion to continue. Indeed, the Lion had always been a man of few words but since his injury, even more so. 

“Of course, not everybody would know it but you could communicate with me, Aelin could learn it, Lys too, if she wanted.” 

Gavriel reached for a book, pulling one towards him. He opened it to the first page where the alphabet of the common tongue was written out with a detailed hand diagram above each letter. 

Above  _ A  _ was a closed fist with the thumb sticking slightly out to the side, above  _ B  _ was an open hand, four fingers touching and the thumb tucked into the palm. And onward. After the alphabet was a similar format but words, not letters under the drawings. Gavriel flipped through the book until he found what he wanted. Touching his fingers to his lips, hand flat and palm upward, he moved his hand forward and slightly down in Aedion’s direction. Turning the book he tapped the words underneath the picture,  _ Thank You.  _

Aedion grinned, a sight that made Gavriel so unbelievably happy to see. 

Over the next several days, many hours were spent with the Wolf and Lion shoulder to shoulder, learning to fully communicate once again. 

-

_ I think Lorcan is jealous of the Witch Queen. _

_ Aedion,  _ Gavriel admonished,  _ I didn’t learn signing so you could gossip to me about the others. Especially not at breakfast. _

Aedion shrugged, smiling, even as Rowan sent them a frustrated glare. The cadre had been picking up the signing little by little as they saw it, Aelin and Lysandra were fluent, both having dedicated time to learning it quickly. Aedion and Gavriel had learned it first and for a time, it was theirs alone. 

_ She and Elide are close and you have known him for centuries, you know he's a jealous bastard.  _ Neither names nor curse words were provided by the book, these Aedion spelled out. Gavriel rolled his eyes and looked away, refusing to sign back to his son and instead reaching for the bread. 

“You’re right,” a voice cut in. Aedion and Gavriel both turned towards Elide who had spoken seemingly out of nowhere. “He was jealous for a time, until I managed to make him realize there was nothing going on.” Gavriel suppressed a smile as Aedion’s brows shot to the ceiling. Elide just laughed. “I know signing, I have for years.” 

_ Serves him right for thinking it was only us,  _ Gavriel signed, gesturing to Aedion. 

_ It's not a strange assumption to make,  _ Elide replied.

Aelin interrupted then,“please no signing at the table, except for you, kitty-cat.”

Gavriel just sighed, resigned to his nickname, and continued buttering his bread. 

-

Aedion was between meetings, taking his time getting to his third of the day when a tall figure slipped up beside him. His peripheral vision picked up a male’s gait and shoulder-length dark hair tied back in a knot. He turned his head to fully look at the unfamiliar person, his eyes taking in a leanly muscled body, traveling upwards towards a fine-boned face that was male, though something in the cast of the features was vaguely feminine. 

The stranger kept pace with Aedion, not saying a word but considering him with bright green eyes — eyes that looked a little too familiar. Aedion finally stopped walking, halting so he could talk to him.

“Lysandra.”

The shifter laughed. “Took you long enough, Aedion.”

“If you want to be unrecognizable, change your eyes, they’re the most distinct part of any face and I knew them in an instant.”

She smiled, smirked, really, and leaned in close. “Maybe I wanted you to know it was me. That way I can do this.” With that, she leaned in to kiss him. 

While Lysandra was fairly tall for a woman she still stood a few inches below Aedion, who dwarfed most men. Now she had an extra inch or two on him, and more breadth than her usual slender body ever allowed for. Fundamentally, the kiss was the same as any other time he had kissed Lysandra, and he couldn’t mistake her lips for anyone’s. 

Reaching out, though, his hands found well-muscled sides, straighter than the curves of (female) Lysandra’s waist. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, arching slightly against the strong, solid body that pressed him to the wall. Reality came rushing back in after a moment and he pulled back slightly. 

“Lys, I’m sorry, I have a meeting with the Northern Mountain Lords soon.”

She didn’t look remotely put out, just nodding and leaning in to whisper, “we’ll finish this later.” The promise sent heat through Aedion like a fire m lit beneath him. As she sauntered away she sent a glance and a smile over her shoulder at him. 

Oh hell, this meeting better be fast. 

-

Gavriel had intended to walk outside but a harsh sleet and fierce winds forced him from the gardens to the castle’s expansive corridors. He rounded a corner, feet silent on the stone, and drew up quickly to a stop. Aedion was corralled against the wall by a slightly taller male and— they were kissing. 

Gavriel was torn. He respected his son’s privacy and understood why he would keep such a relationship under wraps but he was  _ married.  _ Gavriel felt Lysandra had every right to know what her husband was getting up to. His inner turmoil was brought to a screeching halt when he caught the scent, or rather  _ scents,  _ of the unfamiliar male; the ever-changing amalgam of scents that marked a shifter. The male’s identity quickly became obvious and Gavriel, realizing he was watching a moment between his son and his wife, turned on his heel to leave. 

-

Gavriel found Aedion in the royal library, scanning over an ancient scroll he had unrolled on one of the tables. He pulled out a seat across from his son and lightly tapped the table to get his attention. When Aedion looked up he signed, _You have a minute?_ Aedion nodded, worry creasing his brow. Seeing this, Gavriel shook his head. _It's nothing to worry about._ _I just want you to know that I love you no matter what._

_ I love you too,  _ Aedion signed back,  _ but why do you say this now? _

Gavriel held up a finger to stop Aedion.  _ I want you to know I accept you, no matter your preferences or lack of preference.  _ At Aedion’s questioning look he added,  _ sexual preference. _

“Gods, really?” Aedion spoke aloud this time. His eyes rolled back in his head. “I never thought you didn’t.”

_ You must have experienced prejudice for it. I want you to know I would never do the same.  _

Laughing, Aedion returned to signing.  _ I know that. I didn't tell you because it was never relevant. Since you've met me I've only had eyes for Lys.  _

Aloud again, he added, “I’d ask how you found out but I’ve never been private about my sexuality. I’m shocked it took you this long, even.”

With a helpless gesture, Gavriel sighed.  _ I suppose love has never been my area of expertise.  _

Aedion’s expression sobered. “You loved my mother though, didn’t you? Loved her enough to let her go.”

_ I had to keep her safe from Maeve. Keep  _ you  _ safe from Maeve.  _

“I understand why you left. I was pissed for a long time but… I understand. Seeing Maeve, seeing the way she manipulates everyone around her. Connal and Fenrys…” Aedion trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. What Maeve had done to the twins was unspeakable, even compared to the atrocities the rest of the Cadre had faced.

Gavriel’s eyes dropped to the table in front of him, filled with sorrow for the Black Wolf.  _ I had no idea if her power could affect you but that was a risk I wouldn’t take. If you settled and proved immortal it would only be more dangerous for you. _

“When do Fae usually settle?” Aedion asked, unable to keep the concern from his voice.

_ Usually near twenty-five. You likely would have settled by now if you were going to, but it shouldn’t be ruled out fully. Your aging could also slow, but not stop entirely. _

Aedion knew his shoulders visibly dipped in relief, Gavriel's sharp gaze catching the movement.  _ You don’t wish to settle? _

“If I did, I know I’d be in good company,” he laughed, “but I’ve always expected to age and die like a human. I wouldn’t know what to do with centuries and centuries ahead of me. Besides, as much of my family is immortal, I don’t think I would be able to watch Lysandra grow old and die knowing I looked the same as the day we met.”

_ That is the curse of immortality, _ Gavriel signed,  _ one that you never grow used to. Be glad of your mortality. _

“It’s strange to think Dorian Havilliard will age and die, his successors will take the throne, their children will succeed them, and so it continues. While generations of kings and queens sit on Adarlan’s throne, Aelin and Rowan will rule Terrassen through all of them.”

_ I can think of worse queens to be serving for centuries. _

The pain in Gavriel’s eyes as he said this made Aedion’s heart ache, and he reached across the table to grasp his father’s hands tight. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The title is a twist on Gavriel's name, the Lion of Doranelle, since he serves Aelin in Orynth now. In case that wasn't obvious? Idk I just felt like I had to explain


End file.
